Self Knowledge and Guide to Sex Instruction: Vital Facts of Life for All Ages

by Thomas W. Shannon

The use of the postoffice.—As to the Constitutional provision with reference to postoffices it is of the highest importance that legislation be immediately enacted which will absolutely prohibit the use of the postoffice establishment of the United States as an agency for the white slave traffickers in procuring women and girls and in directing their movements, not only from State to State, but also from one place to another in the same State, and in soliciting and receiving earnings from victims of white slavers. Investigations already made show clearly that the postoffice establishment of the United States is being very extensively and effectively used by white slave traffickers, not only as a means of communicating by letter and of soliciting and demanding and actually receiving the earnings of their victims, but also as a means of sending broadcast throughout the country cleverly-worded advertisements which greatly aid them in the pursuit of their traffic. Carefully prepared statutes have long since been enacted, prohibiting the sending through the United States mails of any obscene letters or communications, and also prohibiting the sending of any letters or other communications for the purpose of defrauding anyone. However, there is no prohibition whatever against the use of the mails for the purposes mentioned in connection with the white slave traffic.

Laws inadequate.—With reference to the slavery clause of the Constitution, it will perhaps be somewhat surprising to learn that there is no Federal law which makes it a crime for one person to hold another in slavery or involuntary servitude, unless such person has been, in the first instance, kidnapped or carried away, or bought or sold, and although our investigations have, in numerous cases, developed the fact that young women and girls have been actually deprived of their liberty and held in involuntary servitude of the vilest kind (in many cases they having had their street clothes taken away from them, having been confined by barred windows and locked doors, and also having been deprived of their liberty by drugs, threats of violence, and by actual personal violence), there seems to be no statute under which persons so holding them in slavery can be punished by the Federal Government. It is believed that under the circumstances a most rigid law should be enacted under this clause of the Constitution.

There are a number of other matters which it might also be well to cover in order to fully provide for the suppression of the white slave traffic.

New laws needed.—First. There should be an act of Congress authorizing a woman to testify in such cases against her husband. This is particularly essential for the reason that, as has already been stated, it is a common practice for procurers to marry their intended victims, and it is frequently impossible to secure a conviction without the use of the testimony of the woman or girl involved.

Second. Provision should be made by law for the issuance of search warrants by any United States marshals and deputy marshals, and agents of the Department of Justice, specially designated by the Attorney General for the purpose, to search any place where there is probable cause to believe that any person is detained or held in violation of law.

Third. The law should also authorize the arrest, without warrant, by the persons heretofore mentioned, of anyone detected in the act of violating any such statute.

Fourth. In order to assure prompt trials and substantial, swift and certain punishment in such cases, the law should also provide for the advancement of such cases, and their trial without delay, upon request of the Attorney General. It should also fix, with exactness, the minimum penalty in such cases and require judges to promptly impose and cause the execution of sentences and prohibit the suspension of sentences by the courts.

While, if the present White Slave Traffic Act were rigidly enforced, there would undoubtedly be a very great decrease in the operations of white slave traffickers throughout the country, it is impossible to prevent, under that law, the use of the United States mails in the manner which has been stated, and the thousands of instances where young women and girls are procured and held in this vile form of slavery within the confines of a State; and consequently the horrible fact of the existence of this slavery will continue a disgrace to our nation, notwithstanding the utmost that can be done by the agents of the Federal Government in enforcing the present White Slave Traffic Act.

Convictions and prosecutions.—In this connection, the question may well be raised as to why the present white slave law is not being more rigidly and effectively enforced throughout the country. With reference to this I desire to state that when this law was enacted no appropriation was made by Congress for its enforcement, and in view of this fact, the question of its enforcement was a very serious one. The department’s general appropriation for the detection and prosecution of crimes (which necessarily covers the expense of all investigations made by the Department of Justice for the purpose of collecting evidence as to crimes under the anti-trust laws, the bankruptcy statute, the national bank act, and many other laws, for the enforcement of which no other appropriation is provided), was already taxed to its utmost limit. Realizing, however, the great importance of determining promptly the nature and extent of the white slave traffic, and doing everything possible to prosecute violators of this law, the Attorney General promptly after the enactment of the law, directed that every possible effort be made, within the limits of our appropriation, for its enforcement. This work was immediately commenced and was pushed with the utmost possible vigor with the funds available for the purpose, and during the first year after the enactment of the white slave law about one hundred and thirty prosecutions were instituted against persons engaged in the white slave traffic, a very large percentage of these prosecutions resulting in convictions and heavy jail and penitentiary sentences. During the first nine months of this, the second, year since the enactment of this statute still greater efforts have been made for the punishment of the multitude of persons who have been found to be engaged in the white slave traffic, and the department’s appropriation has been taxed for this purpose to such an extent that in October, 1911, the point was reached where it was necessary for the Attorney General, in order to avoid violating the provision of the federal law prohibiting the incurring of deficiencies in appropriations under his control, to suspend operations temporarily, to a considerable extent, and to call upon Congress for an additional appropriation for the enforcement of the white slave law.

However, notwithstanding the very limited funds available for the purpose, during this period of nine months ending on March 31st, last, two hundred and nineteen persons were indicted by the Federal Government for violations of the white slave law, and in these cases there were one hundred and thirty-five convictions, and but nine acquittals, and about one-third of the cases are still pending. Moreover, the penitentiary and jail sentences which have been meted out to the persons who have been convicted under the white slave law within this period of one year and nine months aggregate three hundred and ninety-seven years, two months and twenty-four days.